I am today out of my comfort zone a little. I am writing about a subject that I have many opinions on, but rarely write about: design. To be precise, I’m looking at the trends in family life designers need to be aware of so they can create a world that meets the needs of families now and in the future.
How can the family home be redesigned to meet the needs of future families? Pic credit: Andrew Branch
For a very long time, there’s been discussion and debate about keeping skilled women in the workforce after they become parents. Some new research, however, has shone the light on us fathers and the so-called Fatherhood Penalty.
In a nut shell, the research suggests the UK workforce may experience an even bigger skills gap as men, struggling to balance work and family life, downgrade careers so they can spend more time at home. I have to say, it comes as no surprise to me whatsoever.
The Fatherhood Penalty: at long last getting some recognition, but will it make any difference? Pic credit: Jordan Whitfield
The other day I saw an article on Bable.com. It listed eight realities about being a stay at home dad.
A picture I took one day while looking after Izzy, our youngest daughter.
Some readers will be aware, I recently appeared in Brazilian news show called Profissão Repórter. I spent a day with a small film crew as they followed me round to see what life was like for a UK-based stay at home dad.
One of the world’s better known stay at home dads, even though there is no official definition of a stay at home parent. Pic credit below.
A couple of weeks ago I contributed to a magazine article about stay at home dads (SAHDs). I felt it was a good piece, relying heavily on the first-hand accounts of four guys who, like me, look after the children and run the household.
The article also made a bold claim about the number of SAHDs in the UK. It said official figures revealed a steep rise in the number of SAHDs and that there are now 250,000 of us in the UK. I am familair with this claim. Give or take 10,000, it’s one that is occasionally repeated in the media. View Post